Clothes-washing machine utilizing a tumbling drum



Nov. 13, 1951 w. J. RUSSELL CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE UTILIZING A TUMBLING DRUM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1948 llll ll abtmmw Nmr.13, 1951 w. J. RUSSELL 2,574,935

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE UTILIZING A TUMBLING DRUM Filed April 14, 1948 4Sheets-Sheet 2 CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE UTILIZING A TUMBLING DRUM 1951 w.J. RUSSELL Filed April 14, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 \/\//LL/AM d Quasi 4New. 13, 1951 w. .1. RUSSELL 2,574,985 CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE UTILIZINGA TUMBLING DRUM Filed April 14, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m. I W/LL /AM JQUJSELL Patented Nov. 13, 1951 CLOTHES-WASHING MACHINE UTILIZING ATUMBLING DRUM William J. Russell, New Britain, Conn., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Crosley Division, Avco Manufacturing Corporation,Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 14, 1948,Serial No. 20,937

constructed within the practical limitations of power input and size fora domestic appliance adapted to be connected to a conventional householdelectric power outlet and to be installed in a kitchen or laundry room,for example, adjacent to other household appliances.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine of thistype which will wash clothes cleaner and more efllciently than has beenpossible heretofore with conventional washing machines. Included in thisobject is the desideratum of more thorough dirt removal in a reasonablelength of time and without damage to the materials being washed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine whichwill be unidirectional or continuous in movement thus simplifying theconstruction and operation of the machine and eliminating the use ofoscillating or gyrating parts. As a result, the load on the motor may bemaintained substantially uniform, stresses and strains on the machineelements are reduced.

and the operating parts are kept to a minimum in'number and weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved and novelwashing action in a continuously or unidirectionally operating washingmachine such that the principal cleaning action which is believed to bea. relative movement of the clothes within the cleaning liquid isgreatly increased, this being accomplished by causing the clothes totravel in a multidirectional or tortuous path and at inconstant speedssuch that the moving contact of the clothes and the cleaning liquid isprolonged and maintainedat a maximum. A further object of the inventionis to provide such an improved washing action which will beunaccompanied by a tangling or balling up of the clothes irrespective ofthe character of the wash load, such tangling and balling up of theclothes being substantially inherent in the operation ofunidirectionally operated washing machines of the prior art,particularly under certain loads or other operating conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide Such a washing machinewhich will function et- 2 Claims. (Cl. 68-139) ficiently with arelatively small amount of water so that a greater percentage of thepower utilized for operating the machine may be applied to the movementof the clothes and so that the cost of using a fresh charge of water anddiscarding the old after one washing operation will not bedisadvantageous.

A further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine of thecharacter described which is of rugged and simple construction, whichwill provide efiicient and satisfactory service over long periods oftime without likelihood of breakdowns or malfunctioning, which will beeconomical and easy to fabricate and assemble so that the same may bemanufactured at a reasonable cost at least comparable to that ofcompetitive machines, which is convenient to operate, and which willhave a pleasing appearance and economical size for its intended use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine havingthe characteristics referred to which is particularly adapted forautomatic operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a front view partially in crosssection showing a specific embodiment of an automatic washing machineembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partially in cross section to show the vanestructure of the rotatable basket of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view partially in cross section of the basket;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the basket showing the general path ofmovement of the clothes during a washing operation;

Fig. 5 is a partially diagrammatic cross section- 'al view taken fromone end of the basket with 1y mentioned, the present invention isparticularly intended for embodiment in washing machines of the domesticor household type and it is desired in such machines to be able toconnect the motor unit to an outlet of an ordinary household electriclighting circuit. The maximum size of motor which normally can beconnected to an ordinary household circuit is generally of the order ofA, to /3 horsepower. The invention will therefore be described moreparticularly hereinafter with particular reference to washing machineshaving such a maximum power inp Having in mind the limitation of a powerinput ,of the order of /4- /3 horsepower, the washing machine of thepresent invention is designed to permit the washing of the greatest,amount of clothes for this power input. Commercially available washingmachines of the various well known types in general have a rated loadcapacity of the order of about 8 or 9 pounds of clothes by dry weight. Afew characterized by slow movement of the clothes are rated at 10pounds. It is generally agreed that the obtaining of good washingresults with a load of 10 pounds is about the maximum which can beexpected within the power limitations previously described and providedthe cleaning fluid load is also limited. The embodiment of the washingmachine of the present invention which is shown in the drawings andwhich will be more particularly described hereinafter will adequatelyhandle this maximum load of 10 pounds of clothes and obtain good washingresults. It also is possible to operate the machine with very muchlesser or even with greater loads. A washing machine with a rated loadof 10 pounds of clothes per washing is believed to be a desirable sizefor domestic use inasmuch as the average wash for an average family willapproximate 40 pounds per week, that is, four washing loads in themachine of the present invention.

Also, as previously mentioned, it is desirable in washing machinesintended for domestic use to design same for installation in kitchens,etc. in alignment with other household appliances or equipment. Ittherefore is deemed desirable to limit the external dimensions of themachine to one which will not substantially exceed the dimensions ofother kitchen utilities.

Within the limitations of power input and external dimensions described,the washing ma chine of the present invention is designed to provide abetter washing performance, that is, to do a better cleaning job and isintended to avoid tangling or balling up of the clothes. At the sametime, it is desired to construct the machine so that it will be ruggedand foolproof in operation and will operate preferably automaticallywithout any stalling or overloading of the motor.

While the present invention is particularly concerned with theconstruction and arrangement of the washing element which comprises ahorizontally mounted perforated basket and a washing action whichresults from such construction under specific predetermined conditionsof operation, there is shown in Fig. l for illustrative purposes,andonly in part, a washing machine in which my improvements areincorporated. Referring to this figure generally, A designates a cabinetor casing within which is suspended by means of springs B'a frame Chaving side bars l and a cradle Ii. The upper ends of the springs aresuitably anchored to the casing A in a manner not shown and the lowerends are connected to the side bars it, the purpose of these springsbeing to absorb the shocks and vibrations during the operation of themachine so that the same will not be transferred to the casing and thefloor on which the casing rests and so that it is unnecessary to bolt orotherwise fasten the casing to the floor. Suitable damping means (notshown) may be provided for restraining the amplitude of vibration of thetub structure.

Fixed within the frame is a horizontally disposed, generally cylindricaltub D having an opening l2 (shown in dotted lines) at its upper portionthrough which the clothes may be passed into and from a perforatedbasket or drum which is designated by the letter E, the basket E havingin its periphery an opening it adapted to be registered with the openingl2 of tub D when it is desired to load and unload the machine. Thisopening i6 is normally closed by a perforated door I'I hinged to thebasket as at i8. The perforated basket has, at its ends, trunnions orstub shafts l3 suitably journaled in bearings il in the end walls of thetub D and fixed to the protruding end of the left-hand stub shaft [3 asviewed in Fig. 1 of the drawings is a driven pulley it.

Mounted on and supported by the tub frame C are means for driving thebasket and for filling and draining the tub. These instrumentalities areshown only diagrammatically in the drawings as they may be of anysuitable or accepted construction and the specific constructions thereofdo not form a part of the present invention. The driving means maycomprise a two-speed transmission 20 and an electric motor 2| connectedthereto. An output shaft 22 of the transmission 20 carries a pulley 23and passing about this pulley and the driven pulley I5 is a belt 24. Ashereinafter described more in detail, the transmission 20 is such thatduring a washing operation the basket is driven at a speed within acritical range to effect the desired washing action and during a dryingor spinning operation the basket is driven through the transmission at avery much higher speed.

Water to the desired level, indicated by the line X--X in Fig. 1, may.be introduced into the tub through a mixing valve 25 having inlets 26and 21 adapted to be connected respectively to hot water and cold watersupplies. The mixed water is delivered to the bottom of the tub througha hose 28. The numeral 30 designates a lint trap associated with anoutlet opening 3| at the bottom of the tub and leading from the trap 30to a water pump 32 is a hose 33. The water pump, which may be of theimpeller type, is driven by the electric motor 2| as, for example,through the friction disks or wheels 34 and 35 respectively connected tothe motor shaft and to the pump shaft. In order to have an automaticoperation, if such is desired, the machine may be provided with anysuitable arrangement to accomplish that purpose. In the presentinstance, there is shown in the upper right-hand corner of Fig. l acontrol switch 36 through which the desired sequence of operation may beaccomplished. It is here suflicient to say that a desired sequence ofoperation may be as follows: After the clothes to be washed are placedin the basket E, the motor 2| is energized and the basket E is driven ata predetermined washing speed within the critical range through thetransmission 20. The mixing valve 25 is then energized to permit theentrance of hot water into the tub D until the desired level (line X-Xof Fig. 1)

- complete removal of the rinse water.

. I is attained, whereupon the valve 25 is closed. Rotation of thebasket E at washing speed is then continued for a suitable period oftime, for example, 520 minutes, to complete the washing of the clothes.It willbe understood that a suitable detergent may be added at anydesired time such as with the clothes or after the tub has been filledwith water. When the washing period is completed, the pump 32'isenergized to withdraw the dirty wash water from the tub. When drainageis completed, the transmission 20 may be briefly shifted into high gearto further extract wash water from the clothes. Following the washingand draining operations and while the basket is driven at washing speed,the clothes may be given a plurality'of rinses, such as .by a deep rinsewhich is accomplished byintroducing'fresh water into the tub while thepump 32 remains. idle and/or by a spray rinse which comprises admittingwater to the tub while the pump 32 is in operation. After each rinse.the pump 32 is energized if it is not already operating so as towithdraw the rinse water from the tub whereupon the transmission may beshifted into high gear to cause more After the completion of the rinses,the transmission is operated at high speed for a desired period, such as3-10 minutes, while the pump 32 is operating, thereby causing-water tobe centrifugally extracted from the clothes and leaving them at the endof this period in a damp-dry condition.

It will be understood that the foregoing sequence of steps has beengiven merely by way of illustration and it is contemplated that anyother desired sequence of operations may be carried out within the scopeof the invention.

As mentioned above, the invention is concerned principally with a designand construction of the basket E such that, when the basket is operatedunder prescribed conditions in accordance with the invention, theobjects of the invention are obtained, particularly a novel and improvedwashing action with the avoidance of balling up or tangling of theclothes in a machine which can be constructed within the practical sizeor dimensional limitations of a dointo an ordinary household lightingcircuit.

The basket design or construction shown in the drawings is that of, anactual commercial model and, for convenience, will be referred tohereinafter as the preferred embodiment. In order that the invention maybe fully understood and practiced by one skilled in the art, there willbe first presented a detailed description of the construction andoperation of the preferred embodiment, following which variations in theconstruction and operation which may be possible within the scope of theinvention, and particularly insofar as they may be critical, will bediscussed hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 thereof, thebasket E is shown as being slightly elongated at the center or axis, butthis has been done merely for constructional reasons and the inclinationor conical shape of the ends of the basket is so slight (about 5) thatit has no appreciable effect upon the operation of the basket and thebasket may be considered, for practical purposes, as having flat ends.The inside diameter of the basket E in readily be inserted into thebasket and it is possible to house the tub in which the basket isrotated within a casing of average size while at the same time providingample space to permit gyrational movements of the tub by reason of itsmounting by the spring supporting members B.

As previously mentioned, the basket is perforated throughout itsperiphery to permit the free entry and egress of washing liquid. In thepreferred embodiment, the perforations comprise a plurality of inchholes spaced /18 inch between diametersc The number and spacing of theperforations in the basket and vanes in general is not criticalalthough, it will be observed, the presence of the perforations whichincreases the roughness of the inner surface of the basket and thesurfaces of the vanes will increase the lifting action of thesesurfaces. The presence of the perforations in the vanes 40 tends tocarry off any liquid film between the clothes and the vane, therebycausing less sliding action of the clothes relative to the vane. Thepresence of detergent in the cleaning liquid also will have an effectpresumably by increasing the slippage between the load and the surfacesof the basket and vanes.

The basket E is provided, in accordance with the invention, with aplurality of vanes 40 which, in the specific embodiment, are positioneddiametrically from eabh other at opposite ends of the basket. As shownin the drawings, the vanes 40 are formed with generally rounded orstream-lined surfaces, the vanes being somewhat thinner at the outerextremity 4|. To state it another way, each vane 40 is of greatestthickfree edge of the vane 40 at Ill is a smooth uniform convex curve asbest shown in Fig. 6.

In the preferred embodiment, i. e., in a basket having a diameter of 19inches and an axial length of 18 inches, the height of the vanes 40measured by the distance that the vane extends along the inner surfaceof the end wall of the basket is about the diameter of the basket whilethe length of the vane as measured by the distance that the vane extendslongitudinally along the inner cylindrical surface of the cylindricalwall of the basket is approximately 3 the axial length of the basket.

For convenience in fabrication and assembly of the vane 40, the same maybe formed as shown in the drawings of a single sheet of material such assheet steel which is secured to the basket by any suitable means such asby welding along the straight edges of the vane. Openings 43 in thebasket E facilitate the release of cleaning liquid through theperforations in the vanes, the vanes 40 being perforated in the samemanner as the basket.

Although the outer surfaces of the vanes are sloped inwardly of thebasket, it will be observed that the central cross sectional plane ofthe vane is substantially in a radial plane of the basket.

For ease and simplicity in describing the operation of the invention inconnection with the preferred embodiment, a first zone of the basket Eextending longitudinally from one end of the tub and including the vane40- at that end of the tub will be referred to as a first impeller zoneF; the central zone extending longitudinally from the first zone andwhich is free of any vane surfaces and otherwise unobstructed will bere-;

ferred to as the central free zone G. and the zone at the opposite endof the basket will be referred to as the second impeller zone H. Each ofthese three zones comprises substantially of the length of the basket,as shown in Fig. 6.

In accordance with the invention, it has been found that by driving abasket having the specific design and dimensions as described above at aunidirectional constant speed within the range of 64-67 R. P. M.. i. e.,at such a speed that the centrifugal force at the periphery of thebasket exceeds the force of gravity by 11-22%, and in the presence of aquantity of cleaning liquid sumcient to immerse the lower portion of thebasket to the height of approximately y of the diameter of the basket,there is caused the improved and unique washing action of the presentinvention as descirbed more fully hereinafter and as illustrated in partin Figs. 4-6 of the drawings.

As will be apparent, the clothes in the first impeller zone F will be inposition to be intermittently acted upon by the vane 40 of that zone asthe basket is rotated. During each revolution of the basket E, the vane40 is driven thereby in an orbit which causes the vane to descendrapidly into the contents of the basket at the front of that zone andthen carry or propel the clothes and water in its path upwardly at therear of the basket as more particularly described hereinafter. In theintermediate free zone G comprising a similar substantial portion of thetub, the clothes are out of the orbit'of either of the vanes andtherefore will not be acted upon directly by the vane. In the secondimpeller zone H an action similar to that occurring in the firstimpeller zone F occurs but out of time phase therewith so that theaction of the vane 40 in impeller zone H alternates in timedrelationship with the action of the vane in the first impeller zone F.It will be understood that there is a certain amount of friction betweenthe perforated surface of the basket and the clothes and washing liquid,which is effective to some degree in imparting movement to the contentsas the basket is rotated, but the main effect of the movement of theclothes is provided, of course, by the vanes 40.

In accordance with the invention, the above design or construction ofthe basket E combined with the conditions under which it is operatedcreate a novel treatment of the clothes being washed such that continuedand prolonged and thorough contact of all of the clothes with thecleaning liquid is assured, with a consequent marked improvement in thewashing efllciency, and, at the same time, the clothes are so spread outand distributed that they do not ball up or tangle.

By driving the basket of the preferred embodiment at the washing speedof 64-67 R. P. M. whereby the centrifugal force exceeds theforce ofgravity as mentioned above, there is accomplished a movement of theclothe in each of the impeller zones F and H which, as illustrated in r8 part in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, causes an agitation andmovement of the clothes throughout the basket including the free zone Gwhich is different from that encountered in any prior art washingmachine heretofore and which is believed to be responsible for theunique advantages of the washing machine constructed in accordance withthe invention. I

Referring to Fig. 5 and the left-hand portion of Fig. 6, a wash load inone of the impeller zones I has been diagrammatically illustrated assegregated into three groups which, for convenience, are designated bythe reference letters J, K and L. The separation of these groups fclothing has been exaggerated for purposes of illustration'and it willbe appreciated that in actual practice the demarcation between the threegroups may not be as readily apparent and that there will be anoverlapping tov some extent, particularly where the articles beingwashed are of considerable size such as in the case of bed sheets. InFigs. 5 and 6, it is assumed that the vane 40 is being driven into theclothes and cleaning liquid at the speed of the basket as previously setforth. The group of articles being washed denoted by the letter L, whenviewed from the end of the tub, appears to follow the vane 40 in itscircumferential-orbit to about half the height of the basket whilespaced slightly therefrom, whereupon the clothes appear to lose theirmomentum and are tumbled back to the bottomof the basket by force ofgravity. This group of clothes L enters the impeller zone behind thevane 40 from the central free zone G as the vane 40 passes through thelowermost part of its path of travel.

The groups J and K are initially a single group of clothing which'werein the impeller zone F prior basket. The portion K of the clothes which,in

general, appears to be the portion nearest the axis of the tub andapparently because it is travelling in an arc of reduced radius andtherefore is not subjected to as high a degree of centrifugal force,will fall back into the cleaning liquid in the impeller zone to join thegroup L and be tumbled about in the cleaning liquid. The group J of theclothes which, in general, appears to be closer to the periphery of thebasket. is hurled forwardly and longitudinally of the basket and entersthe free zone G where they are permitted to spread out and reorientthemselves s that they become opened up and separated within thecleaning fluid and so that any tangling or balling up which may havebeen initiated in the impeller zone is permitted to be corrected. Aportion of the group J of the clothes, by reason of the rela tivelygreat force with which they are hurled forwardly and longitudinally ofthe basket, may be carried entirely through the free zone G into theopposite impeller zone while a part thereof may remain in such free zonefor several revolutions of the basket. In either event. the clothes inthe central free zone G will eventually continue on to the secondimpeller zone H where these clothes are again acted upon as set forth inconnection with the action in the first impeller zone F. As viewed fromthe front of the machine, the clothes and cleaning liquid in the centralfree zone appear to travel in a sequence of waves originatingalternately from opposite ends of the basket, being highly turbulent inappearance and creating a thorough dispersion of the clothes in thecleaning liquid.

This sequence of actions in connection with the clothes being washedinsures that any particular piece of the wash will be agitated andtumbled in one of the impeller zones following which it will be given aperiod of spreading and orientation in the central zone, after which itenters the second impeller zone H where it is again subjected. totumbling and agitation in the cleaning liquid, following which theclothes are returned to the central free zone G for a period andeventually the clothes reenter the first impeller zone F to comdesiredwashing action and accommodate the preferred, load of 10 pounds ofclothes. In gena consideration, it maybe possible, if desired, to

increase the length of the tub substantially without interfering withthe washing action. Too

great an increase in length, however, would tend to overload the motorand there might be a tenplete the cycle. In other words, the net resultof the path of travel may be illustrated as a deformed figure l as shownin Fig. 4 wherein the clothes follow the line 55 in the direction of thearrows, the dotted portionof line 55 being utilized to denote when theclothes are in'the rearmost half of the basket. It will be understood,in view of the foregoing description, that the path 55 is merelyillustrative and that no piece of clothes will be likely to take such anexact path during rotation of the basket and that the time required fora given piece of clothes to complete the cycle may be many revolutionsof the basket.

The combination of impeller zones and an unobstructed dispersing or freezone and the novel operation of the basket such that the clothes arealternately tumbled about and agitated in the cleaning liquid and thengiven an opportunity to rearrange and reorient themselves, this beingdone without stopping or reversing the machine, apparently explains whythe washing machine of the present invention will wash a greater load ofclothes within practical household size and power limitations and willdo a better washing job without tangling or balling up the clothes.

In practicing the invention, it is not necessary and it may not bedesired to follow exactly the specific embodiment hereinbefore describedand for this reason the following observations as to certain variationsin construction and operation are set forth, all of such variations, ofcourse, being within the scope of the invention.

As to the size of the basket, it will be appreciated from the foregoingdisclosure that the criteria are the load which it is desired to wash inthe machine, the practical limitations as to the external dimensions ofthe machine, and the obtaining of the desired washing action as abovedescribed. For domestic purposes, a washing machine having a basketwhose diameter is within the range of'about 17 to 22 inches willgenerally be preferred. A basket of such size will readily accommodatethe preferred load of 10 pounds oi clothes and can be mounted within anouter casing of such size that it will correspond to the size of otherutilities commonly found in household kitchens and the like. If desired,the diameter of the basket may be made to exceed the upper limit of 22inches, but it will be appreciated that the size of the washing machinecasing would have to be correspondingly enlarged and that the load onthe motor would be increased. If the diameter of the basket were reducedbelow the range specified, it would be found that the preferred washingaction is seriously interfered with and that the clothes would not bereadily transferred from the impeller zone to the free dispersing zoneand vice versa.

With the diameter of the basket determined as above described, it thenis preferred to limit the axial length of the basket to the smallestlength for that diameter which will provide the dency on the part of theuser to overload the machine with clothes to be washed.

As to the vanes 40, it'is believed to be essential that the vanes 40 besituated in approximately a radial plane of the basket, that is, so thatthe vane 40 does not tilt toward or away from the sides of the basketand does not point away from the center or axis of the basket. Materialdevia-, tions from such positioning of the vanes 40 have been found tointerfere with the desired washingaction or to cause overloading of themotor.

In the preferred embodiment, the number and relative positioning of thevanes has been shown as twovanes diametrically positioned, this being aneconomical arrangement and being inherently balanced. However, thenumber of vanes and their positions relative to each other may be variedwithout departing from the teaching of the invention provided that thefree dispersing zone G is not affected. It is not necessary to space thevane equidistantly about the periphery of the basket although, ingeneral, it is desired to have vanes at opposite ends of the basket actin sequence instead of simultaneously upon the clothes being washed.

As to the speed at which the basket is driven, it is essential to drivethe basket at such a speed that the centrifugal force exerted on theclothes at the periphery of the basket materially exceeds the force ofgravity. At speeds which are less than this critical amount, thereresults a mere tumbling of the clothes which quickly causes tangling andballing up of the clothes and prevents successful washing. In someinstances, this is so serious as to require stopping of the machine.Such lower speeds, in general, are insufficient to cause the desiredperiodic interchange of clothes between the impeller zone and the freezone and the clothes arenot hurled forwardly and longitudinally of thebasket by the vane as it ascends in its peripheral orbit in the basket.0n the other hand, if the speed of rotation of the basket becomesexcessive, the clothes will be carried entirely around the basket withthe vane and will not be hurled longitudinally of the basket with theresult that the washing action is unsatisfactory. In general, it isfound that the speed of. the basket must be such that the centrifugalforce at the periphery of the basket falls within the range of ill-122%of gravity or, in other words, the centrifugal acceleration must be 35.!to 39.3 ft./sec. The speed of the basket in revolutions per minute toobtain such centrifugal force at the periphery can readily be calculatedfrom well known formulae when the diameter of the basket is known.

The amount of cleaning liquid admitted to the tub should be such anamount which is sufflcient to provide a water level X-X in the basketwhen the basket is at rest which is of the order of V of the diameter ofthe basket. When the amount of water present is reduced materially belowthis range, there is a marked decrease in the washing efliciency of themachine and when the amount 11 is materially increased beyond this rangethe load on the motor becomes excessive and there results a flotation ofthe clothes which prevents the attainment of the desired washing action.The amountmf cleaning liquid is dependent to some extent upon the ratedcapacity of the machine for, as will b apparent, a greater amount ofclothes will absorb a proportionately greater amount of water which, inturn, directly affects the amount of flotation which will result from agiven charge of water. I

By following the above disclosure, it is possible to accomplish theobjects of the invention as hereinbefore set forth and particularly inthe attainment of an improved washing efliciency with a maximum load ina washing machine of practical dimensions operable by power derived froman ordinary household lighting circuit. The washing machine is pleasingin appearance, simple to operate, economical in cost, eflicient inoperation, and will provide improved service over long periods of time.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for washing clothes and the like, a horizontallydisposed cylindrical basket having spaced end walls and a cylindricalperforated wall therebetween, means for supporting said basket forrotation about its horizontal axis, a radially disposed vane secured ateach end of the basket contiguously to an end wall and a portion of thecylindrical wall between the end walls, said vanes being angularlydisplaced 180 degrees from each other, each of said vanes extendingapproximately one-third of the length of the cylindrical wall andone-third of the diameter of the end walls, said vanes havingperforations communicating with the exterior of said basket, said baskethaving between said vanes a central zone at least as long as said vanes,said central zone being substantially free of prolec- 'tions, and meansfor drivin said basket at a substantially constant speed at which thecentrifugal force acting upon clothes at the internal periphery of thebasket has a value of 111 %-122% of the force of gravity.

2. In a machine for washing clothes and the like the combinationcomprising a horizontally disposed generally cylindrical tub, ahorizontally disposed cylindrical basket, means for supporting saidbasket within said tub for rotation about its horizontal longitudinalaxis, said basket comprising end walls and a perforated cylindrical walltherebetween, the length of said basket between the end walls being notless than of the diameter of the end walls, a radially disposed vanesecured to each end wall and a section of the adjacent cylindrical wall,said vanes being angularly displaced degrees from each other and havingrounded corners convexly curved in the plane of the vanes, said vanesbeing formed to define perforations in communication with the interiorof the basket and the space within said tub exteriorly of the basket,said basket having between said vanes an uninterrupted central zone atleast as long as said vanes, and means for drivingv said basket at aconstant speed at which the centrifugal force acting on material at theinner periphery of the basket is equal to 111%-l22% oi the ,force ofgravity.

WILLIAM J. RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 732,913 Andresen July 7, 19031,129,219 Marshall Feb. 23, 1915 1,254,252 Mammen Jan. 22, 19181,284,511 Wenzel Nov. 12, 1918 1,417,306 Dremel May 23, 1922 1,468,552Bartlett Sept. 18, 1923 2,243,325 Windell May 2'7, 1941 2,428,286 LeefSept. 30, 1947

